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Mol Gurihm
Mol Gurihm is a duergar fortress city in the Jarlara Mountains currently at war with the dwarven city of Dol Borim. It was once a member of the Orjeri Union but has since become an independent entity. The city is built inside a cavern deep within the east of the mountains in the Boneways. History The Jarlara Mountains have over its history been controlled by various factions over the years as kingdoms that rule from a seat in the mountains, such as the Kingdom of Jar Lara, or as part of foreign empires that claim the region such as the Orjeri Union. Fragments of Glass According to legend, the duergar of clan Gurihm were descendants of Thogra, the first duergar, and were tasked with finding fragments of the Carmine Glass, a lost artefact of their people. Whatever the original kingdom or clan Gurihm came from is lost as much of their records were destroyed in the wars and conflicts that has plagued their people over the centuries. Before Dol Borim began to delve deeper into the Boneways, Mol Gurihm had not had contact with the World Above in centuries. The two began an antagonist relationship of raiding and skirmishes along borders. Union After Dol Borim was raided by a powerful orc tribe, the king of the dwarves asked for help from the people of Mol Gurihm, gifting them a crown forged by their founder Durgeddin. Agreeing, the duergar king requested that outsiders serve as mediators, the Orjeri Champions being asked to fulfill the role. During the course of the negotiations, the Union itself became more and more involved in the affairs of both races, eventually exerting such control as to force a peace between the two peoples. The two kingdoms, in conjunction with the Engineer Guild, began work on Jar Lara, a great city where their could be united as one people. For generations they lived in peace with the Union taming the lands where orcs and monsters had threatened the dwarves, whilst also delving into the Boneways to fend of threats from below. Not long before the fall of the Orjeri Union, a discovery was made deep beneath the city of Jar Lara, an ancient hoard belonging to a long dead dragon, his bones still slumped over the gold taken from both kingdoms. The vast amount of gold was at first seen as blessing for the kingdom, a sign that their old rivalries were behind them and they could accept the gold as one group. This joy soon turned sour as the discovery of a crown that was said to have been created by Durgeddin that was given to the duergar king as a an offering of peace after the orc raids devastated the dwarven city. These claims turned the two peoples against one another, and a civil war was started as neither sided backed down. Post-Union Following the collapse of the Union after the Black Cloud destroyed Orjer City, both the dwarves and the duergar immediately struck out into the ruins of Jar Lara to recover the crown and the gold hoard. The two sides inevitably clashed and have been in a state of constant war since then over the ruins of the city their once shared. Both have had their society and culture profoundly shaped by the conflict between their two people with everyone expected to contribute to the war, every moment of their existence consumed with ending the lives of their enemies. Structure The Queen of Black Iron Queen Gareen, known as the Queen of Black Iron is the warrior queen of Mol Gurihm, descended from the line of kings that once shared ownership of Jar Lara and ruled in Mol Gurihm. She goes to war head to toe in black armour that is quite distinctive and appears to enhance her strength, armour constructed for the war custom built for her. She despises dwarves and is merciless towards them and any whispers she hears of peace between the two is met with her terrible wrath as she takes such talk as a personal insult to her and her ancestors. The Lord of the Gate The Lord of the Gate is a title that was given to the duergar lord tasked with ruling over Mol Gurihm when the seat of the monarchy was moved to the city of Jar Lara. It is currently the title belonging to Lord Centath who leads the group known as the Gatekeepers, those tasked with defending the city of Mol Gurihm from the dwarves and intruders from the world above. Lord Centath, like his ancestors who held the position before him, has refused to advance into the ruins of Jar Lara, much to the frustration of Queen Gareen. Military The Gatekeepers These are the duergar that defend the city of Mol Gurihm, mainly from attacks from the dwarves of the west. Their name comes from the large gate that serves as the center for their operations that leads to the ruins of Jar Lara, one of the few large open routes still remaining from the old days of unity. These duergar are led by the Lord of the Gate, currently Lord Centath, who has dictated that they are not to advance into Jar Lara in compliance with an ancient pact made when his position was created. The Deep Ones The Deep Ones are those that have chosen to continue to dig deeper into the earth as their ancestors were doing when they uncovered the dragon hoard. These duergar have accepted that they will not receive any aid from their kin, the hope being they will return with some artefact from the past that will end the war. Most that return however are twisted and feral or babbling about terrible things that they witnessed in the depths of the earth. Queensmen These are the police force of Queen Gareen that enforce her laws within the city. They are known for their brutal methods and ever watchful presence in the city, seeking intruders or those suspected of sedition against the crown. Society The Caste System Their is no barter system in Mol Gurihm with an allotment of supplies being given to those of certain rank in society in a return to the caste system of old. One's heritage and family lineage dictates how one can live in the city, rules enforced by the Queensmen. The Silent Tunnels The Silent Tunnels are the network that run beneath and around the city of Mol Gurihm that connect the city to its other settlements around the east of the mountains, these settlements are often built into the tunnels themselves and can be easily walked right past unless one knows where to look. They are called the Silent Tunnels due to many of these settlements being abandoned due to dwarf raids from the west, with few choosing to remain in such isolated communities. Economy The Machines of War The creation of great war machines is one of the biggest industries of Mol Gurihm, a resurrection of an art lost following the founding Jar Lara. The Forbidden Coin Gold and coinage has been abandoned, all such soft metals were to be thrown into a large pile and melted down into statues of those that fall in battle, which are kept in the Halls of the Fallen. Religion The Crown of Kings A pseudo-religious devotion to finding the Crown of Kings has begun to spread throughout Mol Gurihm, with a common belief being that once the crown is found and the Queen dons it she will ascend (or descend in most cases) to godhood and salvation awaits for her people that aided her in this quest and for the dead that are remembered in gold in the Halls of the Fallen. The Forsaken Gods Most religious practices have been abandoned in Mol Gurihm, the belief being that they have forsaken the duergar so they should return in kind. Category:Location Category:Settlement Category:Farthrone Category:Duergar Category:Orjeri Union Category:Boneways